The crowd tonight is sparse by Academy standards, which is testament to the fact that Newcastle's metaller kids are not quite as switched on as they like to think they are. If they had been, the place would be packed out tonight, but as it is, Numan is playing to a three quarters full hall, with the upstairs section closed off. The bonus of this being that there is plenty of room to move around, and it never feels uncomfortable, unlike the music.
'Here is my small black box, filled with hurt, sent by you' - the first words uttered by Numan on taking the stage. The lines are taken from 'Pressure', the ominous, brooding opener for new album 'Jagged', and it sets the scene for the rest of the show.
The majority of the set is made up of tracks from the new release, including a scathing rendition of 'Halo', and one of the highlights of the evening, the corrosive title track from the the album, 'Jagged', which is every bit as ominous as Trent Reznor in a particularly nasty mood.
The comparisons to artists such as Reznor, Marilyn Manson et al cannot be avoided, and Numan's live show is every bit as exciting. The malevolent force on stage holds everyone in the venue rapt, but without the theatrics normally associated with the industrial metal scene.
A searing take on 'Are Friends Electric' in the encore is one of Numan's few nods to his past in this set, and it is the only song played all night which does not seem to fit the flow of the evening, which may be why he saved it for the encore. It felt more like a cover of another artist's material, which shows just how far the transition has gone.
By the time Numan leaves the stage, the Academy is clearly split into two camps - those who came to see 'Gary Numan from the 80s', who clearly hated it, and those who knew what to expect, who loved it. What cannot be denied though, is that Gary Numan is now making some of the most exciting music on the metal scene in the UK, and fans of the genre would be wise to check it out.
FUTURE GIGS
- date performer venue price
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Sun 19 May 2024
Gary Numan
Norwich
University of East Anglia (U.E.A.)
[NR4 7TJ] £37.50
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Mon 20 May 2024
Gary Numan
Sheffield
The Leadmill
[S1 4SE] £37.50
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Tue 21 May 2024
Gary Numan
Glasgow
SWG3
[G3 8QG] £37.50
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Thu 23 May 2024
Gary Numan
Newcastle upon Tyne
O2 Academy (1 & 2)
[NE1 1SW] £37.50
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Fri 24 May 2024
Gary Numan
Manchester
O2 Ritz Ballroom
[M1 5NQ] £37.50
-
Sat 25 May 2024
Gary Numan
Camden
Roundhouse Theatre
[NW1 8EH] £42.50
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Mon 27 May 2024
Gary Numan
Bristol
O2 Academy (1 & 2)
[BS1 5NA] £37.50
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Tue 28 May 2024
Gary Numan
Cardiff
Tramshed
[CF11 6QP] £37.50
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Thu 30 May 2024
Gary Numan
Bournemouth
O2 Academy
[BH1 4BH] £37.50
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Fri 31 May 2024
Gary Numan
Birmingham
O2 Institute
[B5 6DY] £37.50
-
Sat 1 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Nottingham
Rock City
[NG1 5GG] £37.50
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Mon 3 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Leeds
O2 Academy (and Underground)
[LS2 3AW] £37.50
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Tue 4 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Liverpool
O2 Academy 1 & 2
[L3 5UF] £37.50
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Wed 5 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Manchester
O2 Ritz Ballroom
[M1 5NQ] £37.50
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Thu 6 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Manchester
O2 Ritz Ballroom
[M1 5NQ] £37.50
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Sat 8 Jun 2024
Gary Numan
Camden
Roundhouse Theatre
[NW1 8EH] £42.50